Device for opening and closing doors of buildings.



8. G. MILBRANDT.

DEVICE r03 OPENING AND cmsIIIIG DOORS 0F BUILDINGS.

Patented Feb; 5, 19m

2 SHEETS-SHEE1' 1.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12. I917.

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25w 9a k5 C. G. IVIILBRANDT.

DEVICE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING DOORS 0F BUILDINGS.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, I917.

IN VEN TOR CHARLES G. MILBEANDT, OB DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

nnvronroa ornnnve AND cnosme Doons or surnames.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, Ifltiflld.

Application filed March 12, 1917. Serial No. 154,085.

To all whom it may concern: 1 Be it known that 1, CHARLES G. MI BRANDT,a subject of Great Britain, residing at Duluth, in the county of St.Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented a certain new and usefulDevice for Opening and Closing Doors of Buildings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivemechanical means of opening, and closing doors of buildings, such asgarages, car barns, stores and the like, by the application of motorpower or hand power, as desired; and in a case where the device isattached to a garage and operated by motor power, my object is to pro-.vide means by which the doors may be.

opened and closed without the necessity of alighting from the automobileor vehicle in which one may be riding.

I accomplish these objects by means of the device shown by theaccompanying drawings in which- Figure 1, is a top view of said devicewhen attached to a building having double doors, the doors being open,and the dotted lines showing one door partially closed and the other oneentirely closed. Fig. 2, is a view of said device as it appears from theinside of the building, the doors being partially,

closed. Figs. 3 and 4, are side and front views respectively of agear-box attached to the frame of the door and of the parts immediatelyconnected therewith. Figs. 5 and 6, are side and front viewsrespectively of the main gear of said device, and Figs. 7 to 12, areenlarged detailed views of different parts of said device hereinaftermore fully ex lained.

eferring to Figs. 1 and 2, the doors 1, swinging on the hinges 2, arepushed open or drawnclosed by the racks 3, p1votall connected to thebars or upper parts 0 said doors; and horizontal endwise motion isimparted to said racks 3, from the driving shaft 4, supported by themain gear-box 5, and the auxiliary gear-boxes 6, and which has fixedthereon the pinions 7, positioned .within said gear-boxes 6, that is,between the sides thereof, and adapted to mesh with the cogs 8, (Figs. 3and 9) on the under side ofsaid racks 3, said shaft 4, being caused.

to revolve by means of the gear-wheel or pinion 9, fixed thereon, whichvmeshes with the gear-wheel 10, rigidly and co-axially secured to theside of the larger gear-wheel 11, by means of the screws 12 (see Fig.5), and this larger gear-wheel l1, may be turned by any suitable orconvenient power such as by the electric motor 13, secured to the wallof the building, preferably on the inside, and near the main gear-box 5,by means of the screws or nails 14, and from which extends the shaft 15,having the pinion 16,

.Which meshes with said gear-wheel 11. The

gear-boxes 6, are attached to the inside upper part of the door-frame bymeans of the screws 17, and are preferably attached to the casmg 18, andthe j amb 19, as shown in Fig. 3, and so as to extend obliquely downwardand toward the inside of the building. The mam gear-box 5, islikewisefastened to the wall near one of the upper corners of the door-openlngby means of the screws 20. The shaft 4, extends through a hole in oneside 21, of said main gear-box 5, and through the holes 22, (Fig. 3) inthe sides of said gear-boxes 6. In cases where the doors swing inward,the gear-boxes and shaft may be placed on the opposite side. In somecases it might be desirable to use only ordlnary hearings or bracketsfor supporting the shaft 4, from the Wall or door-frame, instead ofregular gearboxes.

The pimons 7 and 9, may be secured to sald shaft in any customary andconvenient way such as by a set-screw 23, threaded radially in saidwheel and into a longitudinal groove 24, in said shaft, (see Figs. 10and 11) which groove may be made to extend the whole length of saidshaft if desired, so that said pinions may be taken off said shaft, orshifted longitudinally thereof and still be made rigid at any desiredpoint, by means of said set-screw 23.

- The wheels Pin the gear-box 5, may be provided with the collars orlugs 25, on one or both sides (see Fig. 6) to reduce friction andprevent lateral movement, and the wheels 9 and 10, may be madeof-unequal size and both be provided with the holes 26, so that they maybe reversed in position with reference to each other and the s eed ofthe shaft 4, thereby regulated; an of course, all the differentwheelswill be made of such size as to secure the desired slowness ofspeed in the revolution of the shaft 4, and correspondingly slow openingand closing of the doors, the large wheel 11, especially, being intendedto greatly reduce the said speed by working In connection with the smallpinion 16, as well as to cor by means of screws 28, (see Fi 7).

respondingly increase the power of the motor.

The racks 3, are pivotally connected tothe angle-irons 27, rigidlyattached to the dplgfi's e pivots 29, on said angle-irons 2 arepreferably made with reduced diameters at them upper ends and threaded,so that a washer 30, may be placed upon the shoulder thus formed and anut 31, screwed down upon said washer, to avoid undue pressure on theracks 3. Fi 8, is a top view of the connection of sa1d arm to the door,a side view of which is shown in Fig. 7.

The racks 3, are curved so as to enable them to move in said gear-boxesapproximately at right angles to the shaft 4, and operate horizontallyon the plane of their curves, and are provided with cogs 8, between theflanges 32, on the under side (see Figs. 3 and 9) and these cogs extendtransversely of said racks but parallel with the plane of their curvesand are adapted to work between the cogs 33, of the pinions 7, in thegear-boxes 6, and said racks and cogs operate on the upper edge of eachof said pinions and through said gear-boxes 6, being held down upon saidpinions 7, by means of the rollers 34, (see Fig.4 where a rack 3 isshown in cross section). Revolving movement of said shaft 4, will causesaid pinions 7, to turn in the boxes 6, and these pinions meshing withthe cogs on said racks 3, will draw said racks and the doors attachedthereto, inward for closing said doors, and with the reverse movement ofsaid motor and shaft will push said racks and doors outward for openingsaid doors. Said motor may be started or stopped by the use of a key orother suitable means in connection with a switch box or station. Oneswitch box may be placed inside of the building and one outside, ifdesired, at convenient distances from the wall. As I do not claim theuse of said motor and switch boxes as new the wiring to or between thesame is not shown by the drawings.

Since the distance between the hinges 2, and the line of the shaft 4,may vary with the different buildings, I may, if desired, have the racks3, provided with the extension-pieces 36, shown in Fig. 12, so as toallow of said arms being extended or shortened as may become necessary.

In order to provide an automatic stopof the-motor when the doors havebeen swung entirely open, one of said racks 3, may be provided at itsinner end with a downward pro ection 36, (see Fig. 3) through whichextends the bolt 37,-slidable in a hole therein, but held in extendedposition by the spring 38. An electric button 39, is positloned on thegear-box 6, and may be connected-by wires to an ordinary, three-wayelectric switch. As the door swings open and cut off the electriccurrent so as to stop the motor, and said spring 38, will prevent I anysudden jar. Likewise when the door is entirely closed-the electricbutton 40, on the jamb 19, of the door will engage the head of the bolt41, screwed in the door 1, as shown in Fig. 3, .and cut off the electriccurrent. However, as I do not claim these fea tures as new the wiring tothe switches 39 and 41, is not shown by the drawings.

Ofcourse my device may be usedfor a single door as well as for apluralitv of doors, in which case onlv one rack and one auxiliarygear-box would be required.

What I claim is:

1. In a door opening and door closing device the combination of ahorizontally swinging door, a. horizontally curved rack bar pivotallyconnected to the upper portion of said door and having cogs lying in ahorizontal plane parallel with the plane in which said rack -,bar lies,a shaft journaled in bearings fixed above the opening for said door, anda pinion fixed on said shaft to engage said rack bar.

2. In a .door opening and door closing device the combination of ahorizontally;

swinging door, a horizontally curved rac bar pivotally connected to theupper portion of said door and havingcogs lying in a horizontal planeparallel with the plane in which. said rack bar lies, a shaft journaledin bearings fixed above the opening for said door, a pinion fixed onsaid shaft to engage said rack bar and means for holding said rack barin operative position on said pinion.

3. In a door opening and door closing device the combination of ahorizontally swinging door, a horizontally curved rack bar pivotallyconnected to the upper portion of said door and having cogs lyin in ahorizontal plane parallel with-the p ane in.

which said rack bar lies, a shaft journaled in bearings fixed above theopening for said door, a pinion fixed on said shaft to engage said rackbar, means for holding said rack bar in operative position on saidpinion and means for revolving said shaft in sai bearings.

device the combination of a plurality o mamas horizontally swingingdoors, a plurality of horizontally curved rack bars pivotally connectedto the upper portions of said doors and havin cogs lying in horizontalplanes parallel with the planes in Which said rack bars lie, a shaftjournaled in bearings fixed above the opening for said doors, andpinions fixed on said shaft to engage said rack bars.

6. In a door opening and door, closing device the combination of aplurality of horizontally swinging doors, horizontally curved rack barsivotally connected to the upper portions 0 said doors and having cogslying in horizontal planes parallel with the planes in which said rackbars lie, a shaft j ournaled in gear-boxes fixed above the opening forsaid doors, pinions fixed on said shaft, in

said gear-boxes, to engage said rack bars and means for holding saidrack bars in operative position on said pinions.

7. In a door opening and door closing do vice the combination of aplurality of horizontally swingin doors, horizontally curved rack barspivota 1y connected to the upper portions of said doors and having cogslying 1n horizontal planes parallel with the planes in which said rackbars lie, a shaft journaled in ear-boxes fixed above the openin for saifdoors, pinions fixed on said sha t, in said gear-boxes, to engage saidrack bars, means for holding said rack bars in operative position onsaid pinions, and means for revolving said shaft in said gear-boxes.

CHARLES G. MILBRANDT.

